St Michael

A church has stood on the hill in the middle of Othery for many centuries and the present building has its origins in the 13th century. It is a fine building with many interesting features.

By the end of the 15th century the tall Perpendicular style tower with its bold diagonal buttresses, large stone tracery filled windows and four niches with their statues had been constructed, on foundations which were never built to support it, and have ever since needed constant attention. It contains a peal of five bells, dating from about 1650 to 1811.

When entering the church porch you will see above the door a carving of St Michael slaying the dragon. The door itself is a fine example of early woodwork, probably dating back to the 15th century. Notable features of the interior are the roof bosses and the range of carved wooden bench ends, some of which are of the 14th century, some from the 17th century and yet more, towards the back of the church on the north side of the aisle, are Victorian. The font, which is used for baptisms, dates back to about 1350. There is much interesting stained glass, some of which dates back to the time of Glastonbury Abbey. There are some fragments of ancient glass set into the 19th century windows in the transepts as well as some good Victorian glass.

A brass memorial plaque on the south wall commemorates the three Chard brothers and it includes details of Colonel John Chard VC, the hero of the battle of Rorke’s Drift in the Anglo-Zulu War.